Greeny News

Despite the wind and other energy efficiency projects, the notorious U.S. naval base short of its ambitions echo

80 meters of wind turbines churning sky Guantanamo Bay are visible from the air long before it made landfall on the map controlled by the United States in Cuba. Navy News was when the four towers were erected, from his ambition as a symbol of Big Green.

But during a visit to Guantanamo Bay, conducted with the permission of the Navy U. S. and under the constant supervision of the escort officer, who were arrested by soldiers guarding the prison just to try to find a good angle to photograph the structures.

Unlike the 171 men still detained in the notorious prison, our escort two journalists were detained for 30 minutes. However, the experience provides a useful lesson in how a relic of the war against terrorism is in the way of the Pentagon's efforts to transform the U.S. military.

When green meets Guantánamo - the prison camp to the sea - the sensitive issues around the installation of high security tend to win. The camp is one of the largest consumers of electricity and water at the base - and is also one of the last in line to go green

The Navy seeks to halve the use of fossil fuels, on the boat and on land, in 2020, and taking half of its 100 or more bases completely out of the network, asking them with all their power from wind turbines, solar panels, or algae grown locally.

"We have set up on this. Other services are exciting and interesting things, but I would say that I think we have an advantage over them, "said Jackalyn Pfannenstiel, Assistant Secretary of the Navy for energy.

probably no other facility in the world where it makes economic sense as well as Guantanamo.

Thanks to its location in a hostile position, in the extreme southeast of Cuba, the base is forced to import all their equipment on barges in Florida. Unlike the bases in easy terrain, Guantanamo, not only simply connected to the network. You must bring in all their power, such as diesel. You also have to make all drinking water, according to the supply lines were cut from Cuba in mid-1960, a photo of the bay desalination plant. All this is expensive.

The Navy spends about $ 100,000 (£ 65,000) per day of diesel to power generators that power in Guantanamo. Each unit of electricity costs four times what they would be back in the U.S., giving the Navy more incentive to save energy.

The base has the ambition to stay ahead of the U.S. city average in energy efficiency and other naval bases "I would say they are doing very well," said Pfannenstiel.

Guantanamo commander, Captain Kirk Hibbert, insisted that Guantanamo can not reduce the use of diesel in half. "I am absolutely convinced that we can ask the secretary," he said.

Crews are finishing the installation of the first solar array on the base, which generate energy for the new gymnasium at the base, and possibly power sector.

There are discussions about adding two large solar panels of 4 MW and 7 MW and Pfannenstiel said Guantanamo would be a good test base for new technologies that generate energy from their burial site of 27 acres. And there are e-mail conversations about a proposal to NASA to cultivate a field of algae floating in a bag of the membrane on waste dumped in Guantanamo Bay.

The base is in the process of exchanging old diesel generators for the most efficient models in its feeding station, and the improvement of more efficient equipment in the desalination plant. Began installation of smart meters in 150 buildings.

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